The Committee to Save Education

Our last event in North Carolina was also one of the more interesting. We know that community involvement and education are important to Gary Grant, and we knew that he was serving on a committee to save community schools a few miles away.

Tired though we were, we traveled where he traveled, this man of boundless energy. We drove to the New Birth Tabernacle Church, Scotland Neck, NC, for a 7:00 pm meeting chaired by Clure Evans. A full agenda was printed for all, and with the crowd small, and the meeting not yet begun, we followed Gary's lead and met all attendees. The crowd got larger as the evening wore on. Young and old, men and women. Workers and retired. All were there.

Gary asked me to speak extemporaneously about the value of research. I stumblingly did so.

Seems like the county superintendent has left town, perhaps under pressure, and now the school board is selecting a new one, and at the top of the agenda is revisiting the closure of schools in this predominantly black area of rural NC. Middle School kids will begin the day after riding buses to school across the county, literally across the county. By report, these kids will get on the bus at 6:10 and not get home until after 5:00. The time on the bus will be approximately 4+hours for each kid. Now what's right about that? School buses are cool, but not when you have to live 1/5 of your day on them. I hear it's a major challenge for school bus drivers and for parents as well.

Several things were remarkable: 1) there were several Black men who were leaders there, one the mayor, another the committee leader, another an officer at the local armory who volunteered the armory for a meeting, and an experienced community organizer; 2) the passion with which people were willing to be organized in a meaningful effort; and 3) the amazing skills of the senior gentleman in the crowd, a man I referred to under my breath to my wife as "the consummate community organizer."

Normally in the Black community is led by women. Not a bad thing. That's a good thing. Good women are needed in righteous causes. It is not the normal for some many young men to step up to the plate to lead important matters. Gary wanted us to note that. We did. They all spoke, they were informed, and my prayers are with them.

To top off the evening, we had great fried chicken at the best restaurant in the town, and we got to spend time with a young man with a bright future as a community organizer. He is young and unassuming, but he is willing to be tutored by Mr. Grant. Clure Evans will be a force to be dealt with over the next few years. I didn't get the officer's name.

Another gift to this community is a community organizer who had just moved to Scotland Neck with her husband who was originally from this area. Ms. Norfleet did the same things back in New York. Lord, bless her efforts. And, she is a licensed minister of the gospel.

I hear that 30+ attended this particular protest march and another 75+ attended a protest march at another school in the area. Who is watching?

"So, Lord, if indeed it's the case that people rise up at certain moments, in certain times for certain causes, could it just be that your hand is upon Gary Grant, Clure Evans, the officer, Ms. Norfleet, and the others who were there and not there that evening? Thanks for allowing us to see community organization in action. Bless that community. Bless that committee. Bless those kids as they endure long hours on the bus. Bless that school board and lead them to reopening those closed schools and opening up those closed neighborhoods. May your Kingdom come and your will be done in Scotland Neck, NC, as it also should be done in Ada, OK."